Lions S Brian Branch Issued One-Game Ban
OCTOBER 15: Michael Signora, the NFL’s senior vice president of football & international communications, announced on X today that Branch’s one-game suspension has been upheld. The hearing officer jointly appointed by the league and the NFL Players Association was former long-time Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Branch will be unavailable for Detroit’s Week 7 matchup against the Buccaneers.
OCTOBER 13, 11:06pm: Branch is indeed appealing his one-game suspension, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. However, the NFL’s language in their letter informing Branch of his suspension makes it seem unlikely that he will succeed.
“Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players,” the statement read (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
OCTOBER 13, 4:30pm: Brian Branch will be unavailable to the Lions in Week 7. The third-year safety was issued a one-game suspension on Monday, per a league announcement. 
After last night’s Lions-Chiefs game, Branch slapped Kansas City wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster (video link). A brief skirmish ensued, leading to the expectation supplemental discipline would be handed down. The NFL reviewed the incident and issued the ban.
Branch has already been fined 13 times in his career despite only playing 41 combined regular and postseason games to date. Given his history in that regard, issuing a suspension does not entirely come as a surprise from the league’s perspective. The 2023 Pro Bowler can appeal the ban; if he does so, one of the jointly-appointed hearing officers will oversee the matter.
When speaking to reporters Sunday night, Branch admitted he should not have initiated the altercation with Smith-Schuster but added he felt the Chiefs were attempting to “bully” him during the game (video link via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard). Head coach Dan Campbell termed Branch’s actions “inexcusable,” meaning team discipline of some kind may have been forthcoming anyway.
Regardless of what happens on that front, the Lions are now set to be without a critical member of their secondary pending a successful appeal. Branch has operated as a full-time defensive starter for most of his career, and the former second-rounder recorded 109 tackles in 2024 while adding double-digit pass deflections for the second year in a row. Branch had enjoyed a productive start to his season, but he will now miss the final game before Detroit’s bye week.
The Lions’ secondary is already shorthanded with D.J. Reed on injured reserve and fellow cornerback Terrion Arnold out of the lineup as well. Branch has experience as a slot corner but his ideal position is safety, where he has formed an effective tandem with Kerby Joseph (who has himself battled injuries as well despite playing every game this season).
Detroit’s loss last night dropped the team to 4-2 on the year. The team’s secondary will face a strong test against the Buccaneers in Week 7, but that unit will be without a key figure.
Commanders Designate CB Jonathan Jones To Return From IR
The Commanders are looking to return some significant depth to their secondary soon after designating veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones to return from injured reserve today, per ESPN’s John Keim. This gives Jones three weeks to either work his way back to the active roster or remain on IR for the remainder of the season. 
After a nine-year start to his career in New England, Jones signed a one-year deal to come to Washington as a free agent. Always a strong contributor, Jones didn’t earn a full-time starting role with the Patriots until his seventh season of NFL play, which oddly enough came on the heels of a season in which he missed all but six games with a shoulder injury. He served as a full-time starter for three years in New England before the team allowed him to walk after a middling year of play last season.
The Commanders brought Jones in as part of a two-pronged approach at replacing Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes and upgrade the secondary. The other part of that approach came out of the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ole Miss rookie Trey Amos ended up beating out Jones for the starting job across from Marshon Lattimore as second-year corner Mike Sainristil shifted inside to nickelback.
Jones was playing some of the lowest snap shares since his rookie campaign in New England to open the season, and any momentum building him towards a bigger workload went out the window when the team placed him on IR because of a hamstring injury. Washington’s newish-look secondary has struggled thus far in the season, currently ranking as the 24th-best pass defense in the NFL. If Jones can get back to the field, he may find a larger snap share waiting for him as the team does what it can to slow down opponents’ passing games.
The Commanders may also be looking to add a name at wide receiver as Noah Brown, Terry McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel all deal with their injuries. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, former Titans first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks will visit Washington tomorrow. Burks is expected to entertain interest from several teams, but it looks like the Commanders will be his second visit after he started off in Denver today.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/15/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown, WR Bryson Green
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Thayer Munford
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: T Kilian Zierer
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Jason Brownlee
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Dalevon Campbell, CB Myles Purchase
- Released: C Josh Kaltenberger
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Jaheim Bell, DE Titus Leo
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: T Isaac Alarcón
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Tyler Scott
- Released: WR Tyrone Broden
Both Jacksonville and San Francisco had their practice squads filled up with 16 players apiece, but Zierer and Alarcón were both able to be added as players in the league’s International Player Pathway Program. Zierer is a German-born lineman, and Alarcón was born in Mexico.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/25
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed from practice squad: TE Josiah Deguara
Detroit Lions
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: S Jammie Robinson
Indianapolis Colts
- Released (with injury settlement): LB Joe Bachie
New York Giants
- Designated to return from reserve/PUP: OLB Victor Dimukeje
As injuries and suspensions thin out the Lions’ secondary, Detroit is bringing in Robinson, who signed to the Chiefs’ taxi squad in the days leading up to the regular season and has yet to see any gametime this year.
With Arizona losing tight end Travis Vokolek for the rest of the season with a neck injury, Deguara gets the call to fill out the room off the practice squad.
Dimukeje has been working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle suffered in offseason workouts back in May, shortly after joining the team. He’ll have 21 days to get activated off the PUP list and debut in New York.
Giants Seeking ‘Big’ WR Addition?
The Giants are without Malik Nabers for the season’s remainder, and they faced the Eagles without Darius Slayton. While New York managed to upset Philadelphia anyway, the team has Jaxson Dart‘s development to consider.
We heard recently the Giants have done due diligence on a wide receiver trade ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline, but they may be aiming higher than previously known. The team is believed to be going “big-game hunting” at the position, SNY.tv’s Connor Hughes notes.
With an eye on accelerating Dart’s progress, per Hughes, Joe Schoen appears interested in conducting a thorough investigation of the market. The Giants retained their first-round pick in the Dart trade, giving up their 2026 third-rounder in a deal that also cost them a 2025 second, and hold picks in Rounds 2, 4, 5 and 6 in next year’s draft.
One of the NFL’s most consistently subpar teams over the past decade, the Giants have made a few seller’s trades at the deadline. They made an exception in 2019, adding Leonard Williams despite sitting in a clear seller’s position. That turned out to be a solid move, as Williams became an impact defender with the Giants during a four-year period. Williams was a rental at the time, but the Giants slapped the franchise tag on him in 2020. They retagged him in 2021, leading to a player-friendly extension days later.
It would stand to reason the Giants will be interested in adding a wideout with some more control left on his contract. Although it is not known specifically who the team is targeting, Hughes names Chris Olave, Jaylen Waddle and Jakobi Meyers as potential options. Each is attached to teams expected to sell, and both Olave and Waddle are signed beyond 2025 (Meyers is in a contract year). Though, other teams will surely be in on all three — if any is indeed dangled in trades — and it would take plenty to pry Olave from New Orleans or Waddle from Miami.
The Dolphins have been resistant to moving Waddle in the past, keeping him off the table during Jonathan Taylor talks in 2023, and are expected to cut Tyreek Hill in 2026. That would make Waddle’s presence more important. New Orleans picked up Olave’s fifth-year option and have seen him bounce back from a concussion-marred 2024 season. The Saints are prepared to listen in an effort to accumulate draft capital, however. The team did not budge on Olave over the summer.
The Giants re-signed Slayton on a three-year, $36MM deal in March; they have Wan’Dale Robinson in a contract year. While Jalin Hyatt is signed through 2026, the former third-round pick has not shown much as a pro. Nabers’ rookie pact runs through 2027, and barring major complications on his ACL recovery, that deal should be expected to be pushed through 2028 via the fifth-year option. Before a fifth-year option is factored into the Dart equation, the QB’s rookie accord runs through 2028.
Nabers has not undergone surgery yet, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating the standout receiver is building strength and mobility around the torn ligament first. The surgery will take place in the coming weeks. This timetable reminds of Saquon Barkley‘s in 2020, when weeks passed between the then-Giants RB’s ACL tear and surgery. As of now, a return by training camp is expected.
49ers Open George Kittle’s Practice Window
Star tight end George Kittle has been on IR since Sept. 9, but he’s finally nearing a return. The 49ers opened Kittle’s practice window on Wednesday, according to Clayton Holloway of NFL Network. They’ll have 21 days to activate him.
Kittle, who suffered a hamstring injury in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks, will practice on a limited basis on Wednesday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones will join Kittle as limited participants (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic).
Purdy, out back-to-back games with a toe injury, is viewed as more limited than Jones. While Jones is battling knee and oblique issues, he could make his third straight start Sunday against the Falcons.
Kittle has already missed five games this season, which is the second-highest total of his nine-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler entered 2025 off four consecutive seasons of at least 14 games played. He continued to thrive during a 15-game slate in 2024, catching 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.
The 49ers were likely expecting more of the same from Kittle this season. Instead, he has been among many high-profile injury casualties for the club. San Francisco’s offense has gotten one appearance from Kittle, two from Purdy, and none from receiver Brandon Aiyuk. On the other side of the ball, the team has seen heart-and-soul defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa go down with season-ending injuries in recent weeks. Despite that, the 49ers have gotten off to a 4-2 start.
Without Kittle, the 49ers have turned to the little-known Jake Tonges as their primary tight end. To Tonges’ credit, he has done well filling in for Kittle. He entered the season with no catches over four games (all with Chicago in 2022), but Tonges has racked up 25 receptions, 34 targets, 224 yards, and three scores in six contests this year. He’ll serve as a solid No. 2 option at tight end when Kittle is back in the lineup, perhaps as early as this week.
The 49ers could also get Aiyuk back soon, which will further bolster their offense down the stretch as they vie for a playoff berth. Facing a fellow NFC postseason contender this week in the 3-2 Falcons, the 49ers may again have to overcome a Purdy absence. After signing a five-year, $265MM contract extension in the offseason, Purdy has been sidelined for most of 2025. Jones has held his own as a fill-in, but thanks in part to his own injury troubles, he struggled in a loss to the Buccaneers in Week 6.
Titans Designate T’Vondre Sweat For Return
The Titans have opened mammoth defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat practice window, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The team will have 21 days to activate Sweat from injured reserve.
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A second-round pick from Texas in 2024, Sweat appeared in all 17 games for the Titans and started 16 as a rookie. Sweat ranked seventh on the Titans’ defense in snaps (699) and collected 51 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble during a standout debut campaign next to three-time Pro Bowler Jeffrey Simmons.
While Sweat enjoyed a healthy first season in the NFL, he has only played in one game this year – a Week 1 loss to the Broncos. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury in that contest. Sweat had been working toward a return ahead of Week 3, but after he re-injured his ankle, the Titans put him on IR on Sept. 20.
Having missed four games since the Titans placed him on the shelf, Sweat is eligible to return Sunday against the Patriots for interim head coach Mike McCoy‘s debut on the job. It’s unclear if Sweat will be ready by then.
Even though Sweat has been out for most of the season, Simmons has continued to dominate. He has posted an 87% snap share and picked up 4.5 sacks, serving as a rare bright spot during a 1-5 start for the Titans. James Lynch and Shy Tuttle trail behind him in the pecking order at defensive tackle. Those two figure to lose playing time when Sweat comes back.
Along with welcoming Sweat back to practice on Wednesday, the Titans re-signed cornerback Alex Johnson to their practice squad. They previously released him from their P-squad on Oct. 7.
Panthers OLB Patrick Jones Out For Season
One key piece to the Panthers’ reshaped outside linebacker puzzle will not factor into their rest-of-season equation. The back injury Patrick Jones is battling will put him on the shelf the rest of the way.
Dave Canales confirmed Wednesday (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) Jones will need season-ending surgery to address the issue. Signed to a two-year deal this offseason, Jones has started in all four games he has played as a Panther.
After making a modest effort to fill the void the Brian Burns trade created, the Panthers signed Jones and used Day 2 picks on Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. The team then cut Jadeveon Clowney, clearing the road for Jones and the rookies. Jones has one sack and two QB hits through four games, missing two already. These will be his year-end totals.
Carolina gave Jones a two-year, $14MM deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. The ex-Vikings pass rusher generated some late free agency buzz and drew a nice market as a younger option. Jones posted seven sacks as a backup to Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel last season, and the Panthers asked him to start while developing Scourton and Umanmielen. Jones joined D-linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown as notable front-seven additions in free agency.
While the pack of offseason adds has helped Ejiro Evero‘s defense on the whole, the Panthers have just five sacks in six games. Scourton and holdover edge rusher D.J. Wonnum do not yet have sacks, though Evero’s defense has climbed from 32nd in points and yardage allowed last season to 21st and 10th in those categories, respectively. Derrick Brown‘s return has provided the biggest spark here, but the well-paid D-lineman will need more help now that Jones is out.
Scourton has logged a 59% snap share, starting two games, while Umanmielen is at 28% strictly as a backup. The Panthers made the Clowney decision to help clear the runway for the rookies, and the Jones setback will widen it. Jones secured a partial guarantee on his 2026 salary; $1.75MM of the $6.4MM number is locked in. That will make his recovery worth monitoring over the next several months.
Chargers To Designate OLB Khalil Mack For Return
The Chargers’ trade for Odafe Oweh led to some speculation Khalil Mack would need a longer recovery timetable in dealing with a dislocated elbow, but that does not seem to be the case. The two outside linebackers should be expected to play together before too long.
Jim Harbaugh confirmed Mack will return to practice Wednesday. This will open the decorated edge rusher’s 21-day return timetable. Today marked Mack’s first chance to practice, representing a good sign his return is near for a team that has been wounded by injuries.
[RELATED: 2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Mack went down during the Chargers’ Monday-night win over the Raiders in Week 2. Harbaugh made sure to indicate the Bolts expected Mack to be back at some point this season. Rather than a late-season reemergence, the 12th-year veteran — who considered retirement this offseason — is on a fast track.
A Mack return would create a formidable pass rush for the Bolts, who added Oweh to a crew housing Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree. Mack was part of a superior quartet last season, with Joey Bosa in place. The Chargers made the longtime Los Angeles edge presence a cap casualty this offseason and re-signed Mack on a one-year, $18MM deal. The team picked up the balance of Oweh’s fifth-year option salary from the Ravens, rostering him at a $9.57MM cap number.
This elbow setback represented Mack’s first real injury trouble since being traded to L.A. in 2022. At the time, Mack was coming off a seven-game 2021 marred by a foot injury. A new Bears regime dealt him to the Chargers for second- and sixth-round picks. Mack returned as a healthy contributor, helping the Bolts’ cause as Bosa injury trouble persisted, and only missed one game from 2022-24. He earned two Pro Bowl nods during that time, though Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz arranged a pay cut upon arrival last year.
Tuipulotu is off to a strong start, leading the Chargers in sacks by a comfortable margin — with five. This is the former second-round pick’s first extended run as a starter; he is on pace to eclipse his career highs in sacks (8.5) and QB hits (17) in Year 3. Dupree does not have a sack yet; he joins Mack and Oweh in being on an expiring contract. Tuipulotu’s rookie deal runs through 2026. For now, though, the Chargers look set to deploy another interesting two-deep at OLB in the near future.
Bills’ Maxwell Hairston Making Progress; DC Bobby Babich To Remain Play-Caller
Buffalo is one of the few teams in the NFL that hasn’t gotten any help from its 2025 first-round pick. However, that may change soon. Head coach Sean McDermott said the Bills could open injured rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston‘s 21-day practice window, though he didn’t indicate when that might happen (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
The Bills, now on a bye week and in the middle of a two-game losing streak, saw Hairston go down with an LCL injury early in training camp. They placed the former Kentucky Wildcat on IR in late August, setting up at least a four-game absence. Buffalo has now gone six games without Hairston, and though the team is 4-2, its defense hasn’t played particularly well. The secondary has been part of the problem.
If Hairston does take the field this year, the speedster could wrest playing time away from No. 2 cornerback Tre’Davious White. He and White would have competed for the job during the summer if not for Hairston’s injury. Both White and No. 1 corner Christian Benford have underwhelmed this season. It’s less surprising in the case of White, a 30-year-old who tore his ACL and his Achilles in recent years. Benford’s dropoff has been more concerning in the wake of the four-year, $69MM extension he signed in the offseason.
Regardless of whether Hairston emerges as a starter this season, he should at least improve Buffalo’s depth. Rookie sixth-rounder Dorian Strong, who worked as the Bills’ No. 3 boundary corner during the first few weeks of the season, could be done for the year with a neck injury. Thanks to the absences of Hairston and Strong, the team is down to Ja’Marcus Ingram as its top boundary option behind Benford and White.
The Bills are also dealing with issues up front, where starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones is likely to miss time. Jones popped his calf during pregame warmups on Monday, leading him to sit out a loss to the Falcons, and was in a boot afterward (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com). Jones is tied for the team lead with two sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks his 2025 performance 19th among 122 qualifying defensive tackles.
The Bills are already without another D-tackle in rookie second-round pick T.J. Sanders, who went on IR last weekend, though fourth-rounder Deone Walker shined in the Atlanta game. Unless Jones makes a quick recovery, Walker and Ed Oliver will serve as the Bills’ main options at tackle coming out of the bye. The Bills could also reinstate veteran Larry Ogunjobi from a six-game PED suspension beginning in Week 8.
Regardless of who’s in the lineup when Week 8 rolls around, it doesn’t appear the Bills will make any changes to their defensive staff. While McDermott was a longtime defensive coordinator before the Bills hired him in 2017, he said that he’s not considering taking play-calling duties away from DC Bobby Babich (via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News). In his second year on the job, Babich’s group ranks 10th in the NFL in sacks, 17th in points, 19th in yardage, and 22nd in third-down conversion rate. He’ll get a chance to right the ship after the bye.